It’s a good thing they never saw “The Green Hornet.”
North Korea is making threats over the upcoming Seth Rogen movie “The Interview.” In the comedy, out in October, he and James Franco attempt to assassinate North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong-un.
Speaking through the hermit kingdom’s state-run news agency, officials said the movie would be considered an “act of war” and that “merciless countermeasures” would be deployed if it is released.
This is hardly the first time Hollywood has run afoul of a dictator. Here are four more examples.
‘Team America: World Police’ (2004)
North Korea’s nose got bent out of shape about this comedy from “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The movie, which was made with puppets, featured Kim Jong-il as the villain, singing songs including “I’m So Ronery.”
North Korea attempted to have the film banned in the Czech Republic. According to a Czech newspaper, a North Korean diplomat complained that the movie “harms the image of our country.”
‘The Great Dictator’ (1940)
Charlie Chaplin’s resemblance to Adolph Hitler was so uncanny that it had even inspired a song, “Who Is This Man (Who Looks Like Charlie Chaplin)” by British comic Tommy Handley. So it was a natural that Chaplin should play a Hitler-esque strongman presiding over a fictional country in this comedy classic.
The movie was banned in Spain under General Franco. It was also forbidden in Germany — as were all of Chaplin’s films, because the Nazi government believed (incorrectly) that Chaplin was Jewish.
According to a former Ministry of Culture employee, Hitler had somehow gotten hold of a print of the movie and watched it twice in private. It’s unknown what he thought.
‘The King and I’ (1956)
The film, based on a 1944 novel, has reportedly never been screened in Thailand. The story of a Western schoolteacher (Deborah Kerr) befriending the Siamese king (Yul Brynner) was considered offensive for its buffoonish portrayal of the ruler. It was also controversial for suggesting the teacher and the king may have been romantically involved. (This is suggested in a single scene where the king puts his hand on the teacher’s waist during a dance.)
Anyone caught screening the movie in Thailand could be sentenced to death. Even the 1999 remake “Anna and the King,” with Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-fat, ran afoul of Thai officials, despite the filmmakers making several changes at the government’s behest. One official was quoted as saying, “If we cut all the scenes which we consider mock the monarchy, it would only run for about 20 minutes.”
‘The Dictator’ (2012)
Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who played a dictator from the fictional nation of Wadiya, was banned from the 2012 Oscars after he announced his intention to appear in character. Cohen, in character, later released a video promising retaliation for the slight.
He said he was especially disappointed he wouldn’t be attending the ceremony because he’d paid Hilary Swank $2 million to be his date. He also lamented the lack of nominations for Wadiyan films, including “You’ve Got Mail Bomb” and “Planet of the Rapes.”